The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-02

noe IoO CONSCIENTIOUS and better sat
istied to live easily and pleasantly.
The newest claimant for popular
favor among novel readers, Mr..
Henry Harland, the young lawyer
and ex-attache of the surrogate
court, who writes under the name of
Sidney Luska," has not yet pushed
his income up to the 5000 mark,
but he is very young yet-not more
than thirty-and he is only making
his first bows and STOPPING for the
first bouquets shot from the thick of
his applauders. No; there is no use
talking-no use scanning the field.
Nobody does so well at novel writing
as Mr.. Halsey.
Alter seeing him l stopped at
little news and toy store block be-
low the tombs aud asked the young
woman behind the counter il she
had any of "Old Sleuth's" books.
"Oh, yes, sir, all Of them" she said
very eagerly. l wish, now, that |
had asked her if she had
any Of Henry James's books, or
Walter Besant's, or Mr.. Roe's, Just
to see what she would have replied.
| bought one that she offered me:
The American Detective in Rus
STA; or, Piping a Conspiracy" l
have it now before me, and am
pursuing the shrewd advice John
Swinton gives to young writer's.
when you find any author is I'M
commonly successful, buy his books
and read them until you discover the
secret OF their success"
Here lis what l am reading:
The American was not at all abashed,
Ia cool, determined voice he said,
as be lcysllsd pistol at TIE head Of Bar.
tosho;
do d mall
Bartebko turned paie.
1t was iearf 1 moment. lie had reason
TO knew hist tho American was a oead shot.
An nwful Ill moe followed, and A most
magn hcent picture Was presented.
Bartesko and the American. with Mar
garet, were tho central figures, while the
background was formed Of the dark faced
men. each armed with a q ttering cimetr.
| Lower your, pi,tel, Col. Barnes do not
invite os'tain death"
1T ~ yeu who soould have q care. Order
those yhelp; way or 10 q moment you are
| Bartesko. did not finch. and, addressing
his myrmidons, he gave an order In strange
The chief however. had but uttered the
| first syl able whom q hAih lighted the room,
| TO lowed by a report and total darkneis.
| At the last instant an idea flashed across
L tho American mind.
Tho room had been illuminated BY large
lis aim bad been true and sure.
The lamp was shattered and the room
yelled In Garkness.
have not mastered the secret Of
MR.. HALsEY STORY TELLING,
unless it be that there is an adven T.
ure in every thousand words. an ar
rest, q shooting scrape, q surprise or
a ruse. But the style is easy TO
analyze. Ii is that Of the repeating
rifle-bapg, bang, bang, as fast as
you can pull the trigger, with pauses
Tor reloading at the end OF each
short chapter. IL might be called
the Calling gun mode OF writing.
II is q sign Of the times, and a
good omen for the country, that in
this authors works there is no word
or suggestion, plot OF theme, that
could stir an unholy appetite or
bring a blush 10 pure woman's
face. Ii is not so much a sign OF
the times that this author is no Boz
hemian, but a solid, practical man OF
affairs, OF family aud Of high repute.
Sylvanus Cobb, jr., lately departed,
was all Of this, aud he was the kin.
OF popular writer's, Just as Mr.. Hal.
sey Is now. Cobb never earned more
than 800 a week, but he lived in the
country, where such a sum goes
great way. His home was
pleasant cottage, and he drove
a horse that Mr.. Bonner gave him.
lie lived well, though modestly, and
neither in his life nor works offered
wrong example.
Chance threw me some years AGO
among some newspaper men who
were the intimates OF a little school
OF writers for the popular story pa.
pers at a time when they were fan
ming the last glow in the embers Of
the BOhemianism which was glori.
fed by Henry Clapp, George Arnold
and the other choice but imprudent
spirits who made the Sunday Press
the warder Of Journalism, aud Pian's
cellar the most popular beer saloon
IN town. These rclicts Of that time
were also delightful cronics. No
matter how elevated your taste 10
reading, be sure. thai some Of them
have delighted you in essays, poems,
stories or descriptive articles. Con.
spicuous among them was
A NOVELIST.
His genius, his fame and his pros.
perity caused him to be regarded as
the master spirit, aud well he kept
his ran for he was witty, original
and 40 blithe as a canary. But the
curious thing about him was that he
would how aud then disappear for a
week or ten days. Ills landlady
denied all knowlodvc Of him. So did
the bartenders in the saloons OF
rendezvous aud the walters in the
restaurants he irequented. Just as
suddenly he would reappCar.
"Ah, friends" he would call out,
Congratulate me. | am ~ free as
a bird for three months. have
written a story that will run seven
teen weeks, aud for that period shall
have nothing on my mind"
The common understanding was
that his method OF writing a novel
was this: lie locked himself in a
room and paced the floor, and beat
his mind upon the construction Of a
plot. For two or three days he
strobe TO aud fro, thinking aud jot.
ting down his thoughts. That plot
was ia his brain aud soul 10 the ox.
clusiou Of all, and he interrupted the
creation Of II only when he
Tell upon the bed from
sheer exhaustion. In time the
whole story was outlined, thread.
characters, labl,aux, scenery and all.
Then he ordered bottle OF whisky,